The Carnival

"Why do you hate me Hamish?" Zach asked me with a carefully controlled anger that made me worry "I don't hate you" Billie had went to put the staircase away and Wendy tried to save what was left of the poster -that got wet on the floor thanks to the water of last night's rain- Now it was left Jake and I standing in front of Zach as he covered his forehead while sitting in a wooden chair "You already came late, did you have to drop that too?" I looked down shyly, I knew how much this mattered to him, but still all I could think of was Jake. The nightmare was still so vivid in my mind and now here he was, standing next to me with his arms crossed completely lost on the scenario "I am sorry, I didn't do it on purpose I swear" he nodded while looking at the floor "Do you not like the witch? That's the problem, you think this is pointless" Zach said it with so much conviction that made me wonder if I could actually disagree "The poster looked bad" it was Jake who answered, surprising both me and Zach. As we turned to look at him, we could notice that his attention was centered on his own nails "What?" he raised his eyes at us "It's cliche" Jake walked closer to Zach as if they have known each other for a long time, which they didn't "If you want to make an impression in this carnival, you gotta think bigger"

Jake walked away to a black suitcase he had brought, honestly I hadn't noticed it until now "Here" Reynolds exclaimed pulling a sash on which 'Prom Queen' could be read "This belonged to my aunt Rose" it was probably fake but Zach's eyes were shining so bright that it seemed like he had won the lottery, though I do think he was happier with that than if he had actually won the lottery "It would do a much better poster if you don't mind me saying" Zacharias was already stretching out his hands to take it when Billie and Wendy finally joined us, for my lucky I was beginning to think I was free from Zacharias Johnson's judgment "Thanks for bringing your aunt's things...I didn't knew what you were going to say to be honest" it took me a moment to process two things. One: We weren't Billie's only friends and Two: He knew Jake. I couldn't help but think if somehow Billie could know what my nightmare meant, but that would be impossible, right? Almost as impossible as Jake actually being related to a which, he had to be lying, right? "Yes, yes" he put the sash back on the case making Zach's face lose the glow "But I have terms" "We agree!" Johnson answered faster than anyone could process, he was probably dying to see what else Jake had brought with him, and I couldn't stop looking at the pearls around his neck. Though they were as white as a bone, I couldn't keep myself from thinking about them as red as blood, his blood

"First, please don't lose anything, I want my aunt's things on the exact same condition as they are" I think all of us kind of nodded as if to reassure him nothing would happen "Second thing is that I don't you tell people this are mine, just come up with anything you want if someone asks but I don't want people at my door asking about my family" Zach opened his mouth but closed it back swallowing his words, it would be a bit hard for him not be able to brag over the fact that he knew Rosemary Reynolds' nephew, if that was actually true. But if there's something we always knew about small towns is how fast gossip travels, and we knew how hard things were for Billie when they first got in Witchtale, there was someone on every corner of this goddamn city creating a different background story for them, none of us would wish that the same happened to Jake or to anyone, honestly "Okay, of course" that was what Zach chose to say "Third thing, this is for you in specific" Jake turned to Billie, making it even more obvious to me that they truly did know each other. I glanced at Wendy and Zach, but both had the same expression as I: Confusion, curiosity. They didn't know about that friendship either "I am going to LakeVille where Rose used to live" Johnson wide his eyes as if he was about to ask for a invitation "And I am going with Silas" whoever that was didn't cause a positive reaction from Billie, more friends that we didn't know about "I need you to cover for me at the store, Mona will be there too" Mona, it sounded familiar somehow "And that will include lying to my dad if he asks"

Billie Dean shock their head faster than my eyes could follow "I am okay with the store but I am not lying to Kiam" Jake put a hand above their arm and I couldn't help the feeling that I was seeing something private "You don't have to lie, just don't tell" "I am a horrible lair" that was definitely true, sometimes Wendy mentioned it as something bad but I always thought of as one of the best qualities of Billie's pure heart "Please" Jake pleaded making puppy eyes, I was confused but could not avoid chuckling, Billie would break, that was a fact "Who do you like me more? Me or dad?" Billie pressed their eyes together shaking their head for a second "Uhrr...fine" "Yey" Jake clapped which made the bracelets he was wearing jingle reminding me of Christmas for a second. Then he pulled Billie close and I couldn't shake the thought that haunted me: He seemed so full of live and yet on my dream he looked absolutely drained as if he was dead long before my claws tore his throat, the memory of claws still felt weird "Hey, you mentioned something about a store" Wendy commented once Reynolds had let go of my friend "Do you work on the White Rose?" "Yes" he looked genuinely happy about her question "I went there a couple times, I think...Silas... was the one there when I went to shop for rings" she said the name carefully as if she didn't want to get it wrong, I remembered now, of Wendy telling me about that store "Maybe you could bring some things and sell it at the carnival...it would be nice, I mean I think it was part of your aunt's...vibes?" she seemed very insecure of the suggestion but Jake opened a bright smile "That's brilliant!"

"Would you mind it?" for the first time since he started talking Jake seemed vulnerable, uncertain, shy maybe. Something about that look on his eyes made me want to be the one to answer, tell him that it would be nice to have him around, put that smile back on his face, but the question was for Zach and besides we barely knew each other "Of course not, it's a very good idea actually" he smiled to both Jake and Wendy "We have some carnival games ready, but you can take a tent if you want, to settee your things" Jake smiled and nodded "I am just gonna call a friend to help me" he warned picking up his phone from his back pocket "Soon enough the White Rose will be ready for business, and this" he took the black bag with his free hand, giving it to Zach "This is all yours for the rest of the day" those words were way better than an I love you, at least to Johnson they were. A part of me was scared of what Jake staying meant, I was scare that somehow the things I had seen would come to life but I knew that was impossible. Another part of me was actually glad I would get to see him during the carnival, because that gave me a chance of finding out if I had met him before, or if knowing him now would change something "Soooo...." I heard Wendy saying suggestively, freeing me from my mind "Where did you two met? Should we be expecting something from it?" She was asking Billie with that shinny provocative smile of hers that I liked so much

"I..." they rubbed the back of their neck "No...Jake and I are just friends, we met over summer..." Wendy's smile didn't fade away or weakened "You talked about so many people" Zach pointed out "Didn't always give us names, how do we know you never told us about him?" Billie raised their hands in defensive "I didn't okay...I swear" I opened my mouth to back them up but they didn't even gave a chance to help "When did this become about me anyway? Hamish dropped the poster" I gasped and pointed a finger at them "Traitor" "Sorry" Wendy walked closer to us, putting one hand on my chest to kindly push me a bit away as her other hand was placed on Billie's shoulder "What are we going to do if you ever start dating huh? What will be of us when you leave the nest?" "Worried I'll abandon you with those two?" They pointed at us as Wendy nodded "Uhh, I thought I was your boyfriend" she laughed but Billie was the one who walked to me and planted a kiss of my cheek "Of course you are" we all end up laughing as Wendy came to us pulling Billie away "Hamish was talking to me" soon Zach become a part of the conversation as well, getting up from his sit and standing in front of us "To you?" he asked Wendy and then directed a look at me "I thought you were talking to me" my actual girlfriend rolled her eyes "I keep forgetting that my boyfriend has boyfriends, my mistake" I chuckled and pulled her into a kiss, hearing Billie and Zach booing us, which made her pull away laughing "I hate you two" I said and she agreed with her face still close to mine

-

At some point after the carnival finally started Zach began to walk around to check if everything was as perfect as he wanted it to be, and Billie followed him to every corner of the carnival looking for pretty and single people but still giving Zacharias the supported he needed. As for Wendy and I, we found ourselves on our way to the White Rose, or at least the carnival version of the store. She was excited about seeing the things Jake had for the day, and besides I had kind of promised her a gift "So do I have a budget or..." I gave her a tiny smile "Just chose what makes you happy" Wendy kissed my cheek but didn't lost the chance to tease me "Are you sure? Because it would be smart to have a budget in case you decide to buy things for your other partners too" she forced a serious expression "And Billie's taste isn't cheap" I laughed pushing her away playfully "Shut up Wendy" I saw her mouth moving but couldn't hear what she said, her voice was muffled by the loud laughing coming from our destination. Jake was behind a wooden counter were plenty of jewelries were displayed, next to him was a red haired girl trying to bite a candy apple "Your mouth is redder than your hair" he pointed out laughing as she gave him the middle finger "Let me eat on peace" her light eyes moved to Wendy and I "Fuck off Jacob, you have clients"

He still had a smile on his face as he got closer to us leaning his body forward "Sooo, what can I do for you two?" Jake made a gesture above his products "Want something is specific?" I shook my head as Wendy answered "Just wanted to give it a look, he's paying" she smiled confidently as I chuckled, we were such a perfect couple "You are ruining my floor!" Jake complained, taking my attention away from the pair of earrings Wendy had liked, and to the girl with the apple. Pieces of the fruit had fallen to the ground as she tried to eat it "Be a gentleman and clean it" it's probably what I would have done but he had different ideas "Learn how to eat it" "Go suck a dick Jake" I wide my eyes and turned at Wendy but she didn't seem to have heard, her attention was now on a silver necklace with a big dark blue stone "I would Mona, but your brother left town" the girl, Mona, took the fruit away from her mouth so she could gasp and point the apple at him "Do you have any idea where I planning on putting this?" He didn't have a chance to answer since Wendy made her mind

"I am taking this one" on her hand was a golden ring with elaborated design, on the top of it was big rose stone that was probably heavy on the finger but she was already used to using big rings and heavy stones "Nice choice" just like that he was normally talking to us as if his conversation with Mona had never happened "It's a pink quartz" he explained "The stone of love" Jacob Reynolds winked at me and I had no idea how to interpret that